My Escapes Italy Naples, Islands, Pizza and Camorra! Capri Capri - the "Gem Island" Capri's Look and Feel

Capri's Look and Feel

Capri is one of its kind: the look, the feel, the people, the lights, everything...
It has an interesting geography, it's a splurge nest for the rich, intriguing streets and local food and drink specialities.

Capri is an exhilarating island, preferred by the rich from all over the World. It's legendary and it's jaw-dropping beautiful.

If you're willing to visit Capri on budget - tighten your belt! But no way do I want to discourage you.

10.4 sq km (4.02 sq mi) is the area covered by Capri, which is home to over 12,000 people living in two towns: Capri and Anacapri.

Both towns are alluring and full of exciting attractions. Make sure you visit both Capri and Anacapri.

Capri is densely populated, has winding narrow streets and has a large number of strange tiny vehicles.

The thin roads, the large population and the dense crowds of foreign travelers make transportation difficult.
But I'm not complaining - it's just a heck-of-a-lot more adventurous this way!

There are buses and there are taxis, but roads are generally narrow. Some streets are so thin that only Capri's "mini vehicles" can fit...

Tiny buses, 3-wheeled minivans, motor scooters and other strange tiny vehicles abound on the thin street networks of Capri.
If you thought the Smart is "small", you haven't seen the mini cars on Capri...

Capri is mountainous. Upon my arrival, I had the impression the entire island is a huge cliff that grew out of the sea.

That cliff is called Monte Tiberio and is part of the town of Capri is found at its base, on higher ground, of course.

The views from high ground on Capri are fabulous. And what's great is that there are multiple directions to look at: the Marina Grande and the Town of Capri area, the Faraglioni and the town of Capri, the sight towards Ischia and others...

So, essentially, the entire panorama is exhilarating to watch. The entire sight - all around.

One of the best things to do on the island is to climb the Monte Solaro for the spectacular views!.

It's 589 m high and the highest spot on the island. The views in clear weather will certainly take you off your feet.

Don't miss out on that one...

Nevertheless, the island of Capri requires contemplation and slow exploration.
As I have concluded, 3 days won't suffice, if you want to seriously explore and soak up the atmosphere.

The intricate network of streets is complex and architecture far from boring.

The playful shapes of the light-coloured buildings can be contemplated for days.

Take the time to wander the streets, check out the houses, the palaces... perhaps buy a few souvenirs. Local Capri limoncello is trendy.

The part where the town of Capri is established is the main part of the island (most frequented, most crowded) - thus, the highest density of visitors and trendy shops, best restaurants are found there.

Anacapri is quieter than Capri, but perhaps the best place for cheap hotels. In my opinion it's not below the town of Capri, just that it's different.
Yet, many don't even wander out to Anacapri and it's such a waste not to go there...

Take a look at the attractions of Capri (the town) and Anacapri's attractions. Perhaps this'll inspire you, even if I didn't get to see all of them (missed out on the Blue Grotto).

Capri is cute, Capri is elegant, Capri is well-organized, adorable with scenic views.

Is there an ugly side of Capri? I don't know, I sure haven't found one.

It's a high-end destination, one of Europe's most unique places and I can affirm without any hesitation that it's among the top places to visit in Italy.

Capri differs a lot from Naples. The architecture, the atmosphere and almost everything is strongly different - besides the fact that it's Italian (of course!).

It has the playfulness of small Mediterranean towns, but it's a place with a strong high-end feel (jet set, splurge category, the way you want to call it). It's not just "some island" in the Mediterranean.

Capri overflows with elegance combined with playfulness.

And, although it's so frequented by so many tourists, it's not a commercial "tourist trap", it retains its unique identity. It's like no other island. I doubt there is a similar place in the entire Italy!

Capri has many quiet areas. It's closer to quiet than noisy. The only noisy parts are around the hotspots, where mainstream toruists step on each other to see the main attractions.

There is no "old town" on Capri. Both towns are entirely "old". You can barely find anything modern and I love this about Capri.

The stars love this island. Yes, they do. Especially movie stars... Hollywood actors flock to Capri for the yearly Capri Film Festival.

More about the Capri Film Festival on this website.

I must mention: the town of Capri boasts with lanes of luxury shops (with sky high prices, of course)...

Of course, if you want to buy a meal on Capri, your wallet will indeed get slimmer!

Just in case you're into budget traveling to Capri - check this about eating and drinking on Capri.

I did actually have a pizza with a beer for 27 EUR (over 30 USD at the time), but it was a rare experience and sometimes you just have to try this too.

There are ways to visit Capri cheaply: seek an affordable hotel and struggle to save on food. March-May and September-November are cheaper periods for hotels. But I was there in May and the lowest I could go was 69 EUR/night in Anacapri.

As for eating - you can buy cheap food at the Deco Supermercato (Via Matermania 1) supermarket, Buca di Bacco (Via Longano 35) is a restaurant famous for its good pasta and sea food.

Most of the dwellings' rooftops are flat on Capri. And, as you can see above, terraces are established atop some of these buildings.

These rooftop terraces are part of the Capri luxurious splurge environment.

Imagine: you can sit out with a cocktail in your hand and chat with the "high end" dorises.

If you're not lucky enough to have such experiences... ah well, then you'll have to get full with the alluring sight only.

Capri is also like a spread-out botanical garden. Full of flowers and green plants of various sorts.

I was stunned by the sheer variety of palm species, immense cactuses, exotic ferns, pines and other plants. Of course, almost all of them were "strategically planted" and they're so nice.

I stayed at the Hotel Casa Caprile, which used to be the residence of the Queen of Sweden. It had a stunning garden full of beautiful green plants (including palms and many cactuses), as well as flowers.

If I were to visit Capri again, I'd stay for a week. The place is small, but so rich in sights that you need to take the time to contemplate every fine nuance you encounter.

The bare minimum would be 2 full days, but even that is insufficient to see the most important parts.

If you're a bit flexible on time, then focus on staying 3 full days on Capri.

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